Another Familiar Face
by backfromhell
Summary: "Ed didn't think anything of it until another minute later when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Hey, kid," it said in a tone he'd heard a dozen times before. 'You're gonna catch a cold walking around in the snow like this.' 'General?" (RoyEd, angsty but cute, Roy can sing)
1. Chapter 1

Edward walked along the cold, dark streets of London as he headed home from his job at the university. It wasn't until now that he realized how fast winter had hit this year, leaving snow in its wake. Uncleared snow crunched under his boots and with every step he found the cold getting more and more unbearable. He was freezing and it felt like he was soaked to the bone from the falling flakes.

He felt really sore, too. His back and neck got like this after work, but the temperature had a hand in it, too. Especially in his shoulder and thigh areas where his metal ports attached to his skin. As the metal froze to his skin, all he could do it regret even having it in the first place. It was obviously not suited to be in the cold of London's winter and neither were his clothes.

It had been a whole five years since he left his life on the other side of the gate for good. Since then, he'd been taking care of Al like a father would a son. His little brother was a young age of thirteen when they got back to Munich and Ed had to really get his butt in gear to take care of him.

And so, they moved to England. When the war ended, Ed knew clearing out of Germany was a good idea. The segregation was ridiculous and it was only pushing towards worse rather than better. Things weren't much better in London, but he was able to get a place in a group home and land a spot as an assistant in the science division of a college.

So, at age twenty-three, Edward Elric finally found a place to fit in, here on the wrong side of the gate. Having Al here with him made it plenty easier, but as the years kept moving, Ed couldn't help but feel a sort of hopelessness in the midst of his perfect life in England. He knew why, but there wasn't a way to fix it.

Winry came to mind sometimes and so did everyone else he left behind. Granny, Hawkeye, Armstrong, the whole Mustang crew, and well, especially Mustang. The man had been the last person he saw before he took off into the gate and when he found Al as a stowaway, Ed almost felt like he owed the general his life. There's no way he would've lasted without his little brother, especially after he lost Alfons.

Carried away in his thoughts about home, Ed found he almost missed his turn that took him back to the house quicker. He let out a sigh, his breath showing as silvery mist under the light of the lamps, and decided to pay more attention to where he was going than on things he wasn't apart of anymore.

On this street, he found himself getting out of the snow, but the wind was no longer blocked by buildings so he was greeted by a cold gust of wind on his already frozen face. He frowned as best he could with stiff lips. He wasn't sure he'd have a face by the time he made it home.

Somebody passed him. A man in a dark coat who he didn't really give a passing glance, he thought he could hear the guy make some sort of noise. He didn't think anything of it until another minute later when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Hey, kid," it said in a tone he'd heard a dozen times before. "You're gonna catch a cold walking around in the snow like this."

Ed felt a chill fall right down his spine. He hesitated, fearing the worst, but he did turn on his heel and was greeted by a face he never thought he'd see again. Black hair, dark eyes, and a concerned expression on the normally smug face. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind and the name fell from his lips before he even thought about it, "General?"

Mustang. Roy fucking Mustang was right there in front of him. It had been forever since he'd seen those eyes and it was crazy to think of how many ways the man might've made it here. Though, something was obviously different. Ed was enlightened on what only a second later.

"General?" Roy repeated at him, a confused expression highlighting his face. "Sorry, but I've never been in the military. You must have me confused with someone else."

And just like that, before Ed's happiness could settle, it was ripped away replaced with him feeling like he'd lost something all over again. It was just like when he'd met Alfons or Hughes. For a split second, he'd been home again. This time, he'd been back in Mustang's office, dressed up in his tragically flamboyant red coat and listening to the asshole list off all the things Ed had done wrong in his travels. As soon as he knew this wasn't that same man, Ed was shoved back into his new reality. "Oh. Yeah," he couldn't keep himself from visibly deflating. "You're right. I confused you with an old friend of mine."

He got an odd look from the Roy, but the guy didn't comment further. He must've assumed that Ed had been in the war. It wasn't uncommon, of course. There were dozens of young men in the military. "Well, stranger or not," Roy started. "It's still too cold to be walking around this late at night."

"I'm fine," Ed said, trying to crush any friendly ideas. "I've only got a few more blocks to go before I get home."

Roy seemed to almost accept this, but apparently, this Roy was a little nicer. "My house is just right here." He pointed his thumb at the door next to them on the street. "At least stay to warm up a little. You look like you're freezing out here."

God, Ed wanted to say no. He wanted to decline and go on his merry way so he could complain to Al that he had a bad day. Despite what he wanted, the thought of a warm fire to ease the frozen ache of automail ports sounded too good to give up. "Guess I can't say no," was his answer. He had no reason not to trust the guy.

That was an answer Roy liked. It kinda felt like he was just trying to get in his good deed of the day, but at least there was warmth in Ed's near future. Without another word, Roy turned and unlocked the door and invited him in. Of course, it was still cold inside the house since the fire hadn't yet been lit, but he was thankful for getting out of the wind.

The place was a decent size. That's what Ed noticed as he was led to the room where they'd be staying. Other than the couch in front of the fireplace, there was nothing decorating the room. It was ridiculously barren. Compared to the home he lived in, which housed six people, it was lacking in the warm feeling that normally came from a place called home.

He sat down while Roy started the fireplace. It was awkward to see a man so much like the Flame get down and start a fire in the normal way. Once it was lit and the flames burning, Roy fell back onto the cushion opposite of Ed's. The awkward silence between them became utterly more noticeable.

It was minutes before the room started to warm up. When it did, Ed was suddenly very glad to have been invited in. His automail ports were still sore, but at least now his face wasn't stinging and he could feel his flesh fingers again.

The silence persisted for a while after that, the only noise and entertainment in the room being the flickering of the fire. Ed didn't mind this half as much as he thought he would. He actually found himself looking over at Roy to study his features. To see if he could find any differences between his Roy and this one.

He did notice a soft line of silver along the man's chin. A scar, though he couldn't imagine what from. Maybe the war? He said he wasn't military, but there wasn't a person in London who didn't have a story to tell about the bombings. It was just as he was wondering this, Roy's eyes flicked from the fire to Ed. Their eyes locked and Ed was the one to look away, face flustered.

This made Roy smile. It was then that the man realized that he hadn't yet introduced himself. "Oh," he said, shocked with himself. He could've been making conversation this whole time. "I'm Roy Mustang, by the way."

Yeah, I know that much, was Ed's thought, but what he said was, "Uh, I'm Ed. Edward Elric." It was awkward introducing himself to a man who looked like an old friend. It made him very uncomfortable.

Then, as if he didn't want to go back to silence, Mustang decided to ask, "So, what's a kid like you doing out so late during winter?"

Ed looked over to see if the man was being serious. What did he mean? Ed was an adult and had been for a long time now. It wasn't like he was- Then he realized what was meant by kid. "I'm twenty-three," he said plainly, his eyes pointed straight forward.

Roy's face formed into a look of utter shock. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Roy wasn't convinced. "Well you're so small, I thought you were like fifteen. There's no way you're over twenty."

Ed's eyes immediately shot over to Roy. "I'm. Not. Small." An annoyed twitch came to his eyebrow as he said this, as well as a harsh frown to his lips. Of course, how could he expect any different? It was still Roy Mustang. Short jokes galore and plenty of asshole to go around.

Where he expected to see a smug smirk and to hear some comment that would further piss him off, he instead got an honest laugh. Wow, that was actually kind of... cute? Well, he supposed he couldn't judge the man too soon. Just because he looked like the general didn't mean he was, right?

"Sorry," Roy laughed. "Didn't realize I struck a nerve."

Well, maybe he could. Ed let out a frustrated huff. "Whatever."

He had intended on stopping the conversation there and being quiet after that. He didn't like that he was becoming acquainted with the other Mustang like this. He wasn't sure he could fill that gap with a fake Roy like he had with the others. Especially after he realized how these people were real, not just some twisted nightmare.

Roy, on the other hand, was a conversationalist and he continued to prove it. "Alright, so you're twenty-three. What's an adult your age doing out this late during winter?"

Ed opened his mouth for a snarky response but mentally corrected himself. He was rude to the general, not this stranger. Instead, he said, "I work at the university downtown. I stayed late on accident."

"You're gonna freeze doing shit like that," Roy said back with a sigh. "Excuse my language."

Of course, Ed didn't mind cursing, he did it himself, but he didn't comment on that. "I was practically frozen today because of-" He cut himself off. He'd about mentioned his automail. He was too used to talking to Al these days. "Because I forget my good coat at home." Honestly he didn't have a good coat at home, but it's not like that mattered.

"Didn't know it was going to snow?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The two of them continued to talk about small things for almost an hour before Ed realized he needed to go. His temperature was normal again and his clothes and hair were mostly dry so obviously it was time to go get wet and freezing again. Roy stood to head him goodbye and was planning on just letting him go until he had some sort of realization. He left for a moment and came back with an old looking coat. Yeah, this guy was much nicer than the general.

"I can't take that." Ed refused to accept the coat into his hands. "I'll be fine. It's not that far from here."

"Just take it," Roy had insisted. Another favor for a stranger. "It's not like I use it and at least I'll know you're not gonna get sick."

Ed contemplated turning on his heel and just leaving. Then he realized that that would just be mean so he let out an annoyed sigh. "Whatever. Fine." He didn't like feeling indebted to people. Especially not people he planned to never see again. Regardless, he took the coat and slipped it onto his arms simply over his thinner one. It was old leather, but still much warmer than the old one. "Thanks," he grumbled before he left into the night.

This time it was only about twenty minutes before he got home. This was enough time to get a frozen nose and cheeks, but his automail hadn't caused as much trouble, thank God. Once he stepped through the door, he didn't even get the time to say he was home before Al was at the bottom step of the stair sending him a very unhappy look. His arms were even crossed for dramatic flare.

Yup, home sweet home.


	2. Chapter 2

It was months before Ed actually saw the other Roy again. During that time, he used the coat he got that night to fend off the cold and he kept in mind to avoid that street where they met. Winter faded into spring and the snow was replaced with rain. Ed put the coat away until next year, returning to his old brown cloth one.

He was off work for the week. He'd been given some paid leave in light of his constant hard work in both helping students and teachers- he also thought that maybe his volunteer work in the library was a part of it -so he, in turn, had nothing to do. He tried staying home, but he found it shattered his nerves to be in the crowded house for more than a few days.

One of his housemates, a woman named Margaret felt for him and his struggle in finding something to do. She suggested he try one of the nightclubs downtown. It wasn't too pricey and was apparently owned by foreigners so it seemed to be a very Ed sort of place, according to her. Any excuse to get out of the house was a good one, so he decided to go.

Al could've tagged along, being eighteen now, but Ed didn't want to bother his brother so he went alone. As soon as darkness fell, he was out of the house and on the way to the club. The name of the place was The November Stallion.

Ed didn't dress much better than he normally did. He simply wore a button up shirt and a nice vest, but he wasn't going to dress in suit and tie for a one night affair. He soon found out that in this club, that didn't much matter. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by the sounds of jazz and sight of other men, his age and older, dressed in not so formal clothes and drinking.

Maybe he could fit right in.

The first thing he did was survey the area for any place he might particularly enjoy to sit. It wasn't a large club, but it was big enough to comfortably seat thirty or so people. There was a small stage along the wall where a young woman sung out to a crowd of pleased drinkers. Next to it was a small seating area for people there to mingle. Then, there was the bar, the home of the people who wanted their alcohol pronto. Every seat there was colored a light navy blue and every worker dressed in white shirts with black bowties. Everyone except the singer on the stage, who had on a white, from fitting dress.

Ed took to the bar. Not because he wanted alcohol, but because it was the least crowded due to the show. He picked a barstool off to the far right that was both facing the stage and the counter so he could see. It was kind of amazing to watch, honestly, and the woman had a beautiful voice.

He was there for a song or two before a bartender acknowledged him, asking, "What can I get you?"

Ed was immediately struck by the voice. He looked over to see Mustang behind the counter, clad in the typical server outfit. A white shirt and black bowtie. Very snazzy. Not to mention he had his hair neatly slicked back to match the style. "Just some scotch," Ed said, trying to pretend he wasn't as surprised as he was. Maybe he wouldn't be recognized.

"Alright," Roy said, seemingly unaware at first. Then, as he was about to turn away, his expression changed. His brow furrowed and a thoughtful frown came to his face. It wasn't until he gave Ed the glass that he actually asked his thought. "Hey, I know you, don't I?"

Ed gave an unenthusiastic shrug as he picked up his drink. "Dunno," he lied. "I've never been here before." He wasn't a drinker so even a soft sip left his throat warm.

Of course, Roy didn't just give up. "I feel like I know you from something else." When Ed didn't respond to him, he didn't leave. He instead leaned on the counter near Ed's seat so he could think. Then he figured it out, much to Ed's dismay. "Are you that kid from a while back? During winter? Edward, right?"

Well, Ed knew better than to lie now. "Yeah, that's me." He cursed his recognizable hair and eye color. It made him incredibly noticeable and one hundred percent memorable. It was odd, though. Despite these thoughts, he was low key pleased that this Roy remembered him.

Roy's lips broke into a real, friendly smile rather than a professional one. "Well, it's good to see you haven't died of pneumonia yet."

Ed scoffed. "Yeah, because I like walking around in the cold, freezing my ass off. I do it every day."

"Who knows, maybe you do," Roy said back his smile reflecting in his eyes. "Shit, does that means it's cold tonight? I forgot my good coat at home."

That one actually made Ed laugh. It was a good, honest chuckle and it honestly made him feel a bit better. "Don't worry, it's actually pretty nice out tonight. Well, aside from the raining but it's always raining around here."

There was a little something in Roy's eyes. A bit of softness that Ed couldn't place. It disappeared when Roy spoke, "You got that right." There was comfortable pause before he asked, "So what brings you to a place like this, shorty?"

Ed's eyes narrowed. "Not short," he clarified- earning himself a laugh -before he answered the question. "A friend of mine suggested I try the nightlife. Said it'd suit me."

"If you like listening to jazz and drinking alcohol, then yeah, it's probably for you." Roy motioned to the drink, "Check," then to the woman, "And from the way you were looking at my friend up there, I'd say check."

That almost sounded like he was being accused of liking the woman for more than just her singing, but Ed ignored that. It was a dumb thought anyway. "Well, guess I found the perfect spot for me, then." He took a quick sip of his drink.

"Seems like it," Roy said back. "Am I gonna be seeing more of you, then?"

Just then, the music came to a pause, cutting an answer out of Ed's mouth. He glanced up at the stage and saw the woman exiting to the right of it. Her attention was immediately on the bar. She passed the crowd with ease and it wasn't until she was up close that Ed actually recognized her.

Miss Hawkeye was always such a reserved woman at the office, Ed didn't realize how pretty she could be all dressed up with her hair pinned up in curls and her face done up in make up. He honestly hadn't been able to tell it was her up on that stage until she was right in front of him. It was obviously just another look-alike who didn't know him, but Ed didn't mind seeing her again.

"Riza, can't you take one more song?" Roy asked her. His voice pleaded but his happy expression on his face didn't match up. "I'm trying to make us a long-term customer right now."

"You're not gonna slack just because you want to chat up a customer, Roy," she said in that commanding tone Ed knew so well. "Up there. Now."

Roy didn't put up as much of a fight. He slipped out from behind the counter, letting Riza in before he closed it off again. He was about to leave for the stage, but before he did, he turned to Ed and said, "Make sure you're watching, alright short stuff?" It was accompanied by a wink. Then he turned and walked toward the steps onto the stage.

Ed would've been more angry about the short thing if he hadn't been completely caught off guard by that wink. Thank god the lighting was dim because he was halfway sure that he his cheeks were flushed.

He watched as Roy walked onto the stage and could visibly see him become a different person under those lights. He was suddenly a well-practiced singer, a so-called lady's man, cocky and honestly attractive. Ed was sure it was too obvious that he was staring, but he didn't care enough to stop.

The music began to play. It was a song Ed didn't know, but it was definitely jazzy, as was expected, and plenty nice to the ears. It was half a minute of the slow instrumental before Roy began to sing and when he did, well, there was no way to describe it other than breathtaking. It sucked all of the air from Ed's lungs in a single second.

Ed could feel his lips fall into soft gasp as he was taken aback by not only the singing itself but also by how oddly natural Roy seemed up there as he sang and moved to the beat of the music. Watching him was mesmerizing and listening to him sing the notes of the song, well it left a legitimately pleasant ache in his chest.

Before he knew it, the song had ended. This was when Ed realized his staring would start getting more obvious so before he could be enthralled by the next one, he turned his attention to the scotch. He wasn't that much a fan of alcohol, but he was definitely enjoying himself enough not care as much about the strong taste. He took a long sip. This was when he noticed a pair of hazel eyes on him.

"I can see you're a fan," Riza said, a warm smile on her lips. "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?"

Again, he had to say who he was to someone who should already know. He wore a smile regardless. "Edward Elric, ma'am."

"I'm Riza Hawkeye," she said in return. "I'm guessing you already know that idiot up there."

Ed nodded, laughing as he did. "Yeah," he confirmed in a happy tone of voice. "We met a while back in winter. I didn't know he worked here, though."

He knew she said something else to him, but he found himself listening to a certain note of the new song a little more closely than he did her. He gave her an apologetic look, but she didn't look offended, just shook her head and went on to cater to the other customers. Ed continued to watch the performance now that he was by himself, amazed by the voice Roy had on him.

He was sitting there for a long time like that. He nursed on his drink as he watched the stage. One song after another played, each more mesmerizing than the last until Roy was giving his final bow. He got off the stage and a different performer took his place. Soon, he was back behind the counter and refilling Ed's glass.

"You enjoy the show?" Roy asked him with an oh so familiar smirk present on his face. He was a bit flustered and a tad sweaty, probably from all of the singing under the stage lights. Ed couldn't blame him. He'd look worse if he tried the same thing.

"You sounded like a dying sheep," Ed joked, grinning up at him. When Roy mocked offense, Ed laughed, but took back his statement and amended it, "I'm kidding. You sounded great."

"You're damn right I did. Bet I had you falling out of your seat."

Yes, yes he did. Of course Ed wasn't going to say that, so he denied he even thought of it. There's no way he'd admit something like that. Roy's head was already big enough as is. It didn't need to be inflated anymore. "I wouldn't go that far," he said. "But it was definitely amazing. I never imagined you could sing like that."

Roy shrugged rather dramatically and couldn't help but top off the compliments with an air of cockiness. "What can I say? I'm just full of amazing surprises." He certainly was. "I do my show every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday if you want to come see me more."

"Don't tempt me," Ed said back. "You'll never get rid of me."

"Maybe that's what I'm planning on." Que Mustang's second perfectly timed wink of the night. Ed was the one drinking and Roy was the one being flirty. That didn't sound right to him, but who was he to question it?

Ed shook his head of the thoughts and tried to brush off his reddened cheeks by rolling his eyes at the statement. "Well, I think you just got yourself a new regular."


	3. Chapter 3

It was impossible not to keep his word. Ed was right back in The November Stallion that Wednesday night and swooning to the sound of Roy's voice. He did the same thing again and again, even after he went back to work. He'd gone from avoiding the second Mustang like he was the plague to being excited every time he knew he was going to get to go out and see him.

He realized that it wasn't only the singing that kept him out late at night. It was talking to Roy, chatting with Hawkeye, getting a little tipsy in the meantime and then heading home. Everything felt somewhat natural the way it was going. It wasn't until then that he realized how much actually missed Roy.

Of course, there were constant reminders that the man he was seeing wasn't the general that had been a rock in his life for such a long time. Like, how he didn't know Al. He pulled out matches to light cigarettes for a customer. He often forgot Ed's last name, saying it was one of the weirdest ones he'd heard yet. Not to mention, he was hell bent on getting Ed to be his best friend.

Ed wasn't able to really figure that one out. When he met Alfons because of rocket engineering, it felt like fate. Of course, they'd clicked because Ed was desperate to find a normal spot to be in and in the alchemical world, he and Al were brothers. Hughes and Gracia were more so accidents than anything else, but he'd still been friends with them in his world.

He wouldn't say he and Roy hated one another in the other world, but up until the end there, it was a rocky friendship at best. They earned the mutual trust and respect for one another after years of knowing each other. He hadn't thought they were anything close to friends until then, but this Roy had immediately taken interest in him.

It was a Saturday night when he finally got the gist as to why. He'd lost count of how many times he had dropped by the club, but it had been over a month since he had first come by. Instead of scotch, he ordered a glass of cold water and was drinking it casually at his normal seat at the bar.

"You know, there're shows here that aren't me," Roy said as he came over. He leaned over the counter and rested on his arms a little to the left of Ed, the typical smug smile on his face.

Ed took a sip of his water, sat it down with a small thunk onto the wooden counter before he said, grin on his face, "Why would I come see other people sing nicely when I can listen to you sound like an angry cat on stage?"

"Oh, that one hurts," Roy said as he tried to hold in his laugh and instead snorted. He'd just gotten back from the stage so his cheeks were flushed out. He was always more bubbly after singing, all smiles and immensely adorable. "Your insults just get more and more creative. I'm almost jealous you're so good."

"I know, it's a gift," Ed said. "Complete natural talent."

Roy smirked at him, an evil gleam in his eyes. "Do you consider your height a talent, too? I would. It's amazing how you manage to be so small."

Short jokes had become a huge part of their friendship, but that didn't mean Ed liked them any more than he had for years now. He found from trial and error that if he pouted, he got better responses than when he glared. So, he promptly puffed out his bottom lip and mumbled, "I'm not that short."

He received a not-so-hard pinch on the cheek and a sweet smile. That didn't stop Ed from pushing away his hand and rubbing at the skin of his cheek. It was completely fine, but he wanted Roy to feel bad, not look cute. The pout hadn't worked as well as planned.

"Don't you try and act like I hurt your feelings," Roy said, instead of feeling any sort of remorse. "You're the one who called me a cat."

"An angry cat," Ed corrected, grabbing his drink for another sip. It pissed him off that Roy got so much happiness out of making him angry. This was one of the moments where everything felt normal about this. There wasn't a single difference between them, aside from environment. It was nostalgic.

"An angry cat," Roy repeated, fixing his statement. "Point is, you're tiny and I'm an amazing singer. Those are two things that you need to accept, Edward. They're the truth."

This time, Ed did glare at him from behind his glass. "I might consider it shortly after you accept a punch to the face, bastard."

Roy just chuckled and shook his head. Before he could respond to Ed's pissed off comment, someone at the other end of the bar called him over. He pushed himself off of the counter and went to tend to the customer, obviously intending on coming back afterward. This gave Ed time to continue sulking.

Even though he was kinda mad, he couldn't help but keep his eyes on Roy. He found himself studying the man's features and softly appreciating the way he looked in his bartender outfit. He'd hardly seen Roy out of the color navy blue military outfit in Amestris. He looked much better in black and white, at least in Ed's perspective.

He promptly averted his eyes to his water when Roy turned towards him. He silently hoped he hadn't been caught but didn't dare look up to confirm whether or not he had. Soon there was a hand ruffling his bangs that he had to fend off. This forced him to lift his eyes and see Roy's smug smirk.

"Not only am I not the only who performs here," Roy grabbed Ed's glass to refill it as he spoke. Ed hadn't even realized it was empty. "I'm also not the only one who can see you."

Ed made a confused expression. Then he looked back behind Roy and saw that Hawkeye was also behind the bar and she definitely had seen him if that amused smile was anything to go by. Great. Ed flushed. "So what?"

"So, if you want to stare at my ass, you should at least own up to it," was Roy's response, blunt and straight to the point.

"I wasn't-!"

Roy still had that dumb smugness to his face, "You were."

With a red face and an unhappy frown, Ed ducked his head down into his hands. He didn't speak, knowing he'd just embarrass himself more if he did because Roy would turn it right on him. Fucking silver-tongued bastard.

It was a moment before Mustang tried to talk him out of his hands by saying, "Hey, Edward, I've got something to ask you." He sounded sincere, but it could've easily been a simple act.

"No," Ed said tersely, muffled by the cloth of his gloves.

"Come on, look up at me."

Ed let out a groan. He stayed in his hands a second longer before he slowly lifted his head up from his palms. He would've kept his glare had Roy not looked more sincere than his voice even let on. "What d'you want?" he asked.

"Are you free on Monday morning?" Roy asked.

That made Ed freeze in his seat. "Why?"

"I wanted to see if you'd like to get some tea," Roy explained, a confident spark in his eyes. He seemed sure that he would get the answer he wanted, even if he had just embarrassed the person he was asking. "I know this nice cafe off to the side of the..."

The words stopped processing in Ed's mind. He was being asked on a date right now. A legitimate date and with none other than Roy Mustang. He'd known that the man liked him, but he hadn't thought he'd try anything. Now that he had, Ed's heart pulled to a stop and the protective bubble he'd put around himself the first time they'd met went right back up.

He couldn't date this Roy. He couldn't get that involved with someone he knew from this world, especially not him. His thoughts sunk back to his own Roy, the one in Amestris. The one that had him on a metaphorical leash from ages twelve to fifteen and somehow earned his respect along the way. He thought back to seeing him again during that short time home. The sad look the man had in his eyes when he knew he'd never see Ed again, but smiled anyway and assured him that he'd take care of the gate in Amestris. The trust they shared, the respect, of course, Ed knew that all of that affected the both of them.

It wasn't the same man that he was with now. He couldn't even pretend it was. Yeah, he could sit here chatting it up with this look-a-like, but there was no way he could ever imagine himself back home when he spoke to Roy. He wasn't the general. It wouldn't be fair to the general and it wouldn't be fair to this version of him either. If Ed told this man about the world he came from, this Roy wouldn't believe him just like Alfons hadn't until the end.

Alfons. He couldn't do that again. He couldn't be that involved with someone from their world again. He'd lost a brother five years ago and he knew that he'd be the reason if he lost Roy, too. Just the thought made him make up his mind.

"No," he said as he came back to reality. Upon seeing the look of shock on Roy's face, he felt a stab of regret in his chest but he still knew that he couldn't change his answer. "I mean, it's a nice offer but I- I've got some stuff to help my brother with."

It was blatantly obvious that he had lied and he could tell Roy knew just by the look on his face, but the man didn't mention it, just shrugged. "Alright," he said. "Guess I'll just have to catch you another time."

Their conversation couldn't continue past that. If they tried, it'd sizzle out in only a few minutes and they'd go back into an uncomfortable silence. After a half hour of this, Ed said an awkward goodbye and left.

As he walked home, going the same route he always did, he found himself upset, both with himself and the situation. He hadn't wanted to lose a friend, but he also knew that if he had accepted the invitation, he wouldn't have been able to go through with it. He would've eventually talked himself out of it and blew off the date.

He tried to focus on other things. The sounds of the night bugs, which of the lamps were flickering on the street, how many steps he was taking, but he couldn't. His mind kept stumbling back to Roy and back to the general. He hated it. He hated how sad it made him feel to know he'd never have that same man again and he hated how frustrated he was when he thought of it. He hated how he couldn't treat this new Roy the way he would a new friend because of it.

When he stepped into the door of his house and closed it behind him, he took a moment to lean against the wood and think about what he was going to do. He had no idea in all honesty and he was sure that he wouldn't be able to figure it out, either.

Suddenly he heard someone moving around upstairs. It could've been any one of the tenants, but his first thought was Al. The two of them shared a room and if Ed had come home at his normal time, his brother would've been asleep already, but it was much earlier than usual.

Ed pushed himself off the door and immediately shuffled up the stairs, professionally avoiding the extra squeaky ones as he went. At the top, he turned right and went into the door at the very end.

Inside, he found Alphonse at their shared bookshelf, intently reading the pages of some old book while still standing. He was eighteen now, practically fully grown, with short hair and features that reminded Ed of their mother. Normally he'd feel a sense of pride from seeing his brother, but right now, he couldn't cover his distress.

Al didn't look up until Ed closed the door of their room behind him. For a moment, his eyes brightened, but they immediately turned concerned when he saw that Ed wasn't looking too happy. "Brother, what's wrong?" he asked.

Ed let out a sigh. Then, he decided that he was going to talk to Al about it.


	4. Chapter 4

The two Elrics were both in their beds on opposite sides of the room. The only light in the darkness was a thin candle that had been lit and set onto Ed's bedside table. The two of them had been talking uninterrupted for what felt like a long time.

"I still think you should've said yes," was Al's view on it. He'd been saying this since the very beginning, no matter what Ed's excuses were as to why he shouldn't.

"But-"

"Brother," Al interrupted him before he could even say anything against it. "I know that General Mustang meant a lot to you, but if the two of you were supposed to be together on that side of the gate, maybe this is fate trying to still set you up."

"I'm not this world's Edward," Ed said, his voice annoyed. Probably from being interrupted. "There is no 'destiny' for me on this side. I'm a dent in fate's plans. And anyway, me and Mustang weren't destined to be together. I didn't even like him as a friend until I was fifteen."

Al didn't give in, though. "Maybe you just didn't get the time," he pointed out. "You did leave really suddenly."

"That doesn't change the fact that I don't belong here."

"Maybe you replaced the other Ed," Al continued to sound reasonable. "Like in fate's eyes, you're the same person, just with different memories. Saying that you don't have a destiny here doesn't make sense. What are the chances you'd meet the other Roy like you did?"

A pause, then a mumbled, "Slim to none."

"Exactly."

Ed made a frustrated noise. "He's still not the real Roy."

There was a long pause as that fact made the air in the room a little tense. They both knew what Al should say and hadn't yet. It was a harsh thing for the both of them to realize and neither of them had fully accepted it. "Brother," Al sounded hesitant, scared. "We can't go home. You're never going to see the general again."

Another moment of silence crashed over them. This time it was Ed's turn to speak, but he wasn't able to accomplish it. His throat felt like it had collapsed and the words he should respond with more heartbreaking than the statement itself. It took him a while, but he managed it, "I know."

"So, maybe you should give the Mustang here a try," Al said, trying to wash away the sadness by moving the subject back to Ed's problem.

"That wouldn't be fair to him," Ed huffed. "I'll have expectations of who he should be and that won't be him."

Al disagreed. "It wouldn't be fair if you didn't give him a chance. It sounds like he really likes you and if the two of you work out, then it's all the better right?"

"Even if we work out," Ed said. "What if he's still just the other Roy? He doesn't deserve that and I can't do that to someone again."

"You're talking about Alfons, aren't you Brother?"

"Of course I am," Ed sighed. "You didn't know him Al, but you know he didn't deserve what I did to him. He was an amazing person but all I did was talk about home and how I wanted to be there again. I never thought for a second how it would make him feel. He wasn't you so he didn't matter enough to me."

"That's not true and you know it," Al argued. It was true that he didn't know Alfons, but if he really acted that much like himself, then Al could assume he thought like him, too. "You were devastated when he died."

"Because he-" Ed paused, collecting himself so he could talk with his voice breaking. "Because he died trying to get me home. It wasn't fair to him."

Al didn't know the specifics of what happened between Alfons and Ed that night, but he knew enough to be frustrated with Ed. "Stop blaming yourself," Al said. "It wasn't your fault and he knew what he was doing when he did it."

"That's not the point."

"Yeah, it is," Al shot back. "And wouldn't you treat Mustang better specifically because you made the mistake in the past?"

"I don't know."

"Then don't use it as an excuse."

Ed was quiet again. This time it was because he didn't have much more plausible argument. There was one thing he felt the need to point out, though. "What if something happens because we're, well gay? Things are different here. Everything's a sin and illegal."

That was something Al didn't have an answer for. He just had to try to make a good, reasonable statement. "Well, he knows the risks so just the fact he asked you out should mean something, right?"

"I guess. Unless he's just dumb," Ed said. "He wanted to go to a cafe, remember? That would be public."

"You don't have to be affectionate in public."

"Roy Mustang? Not affectionate ever?" Ed almost sounded offended Al didn't get it. "He's always touching me at the bar. Pinching my cheeks and messing with my hair. Anybody could pick up on that."

"But that's in the bar," Al said. "And people won't think you're gay just from stuff like that. You really should give him a chance, Brother."

Ed really didn't feel like he could, but he decided he was done arguing about it.

A whole week passed before Ed even thought about going to the club again. When he was home on Monday, Al scolded him and then promptly tried to start the argument back up again, but Ed said that he was just tired.

On Wednesday, Al was certainly more frustrated, but this time the anger was more like a silent disappointment. It was much worse. Especially as they sat in the same room and he was blatantly ignored by his brother. When he talked he just got an "mhm," or a "shh," in response and it almost worked.

When Ed came home Saturday instead of going to the club, Al took his keys before he could even get inside the house. Then he pushed him out the front door and locked it behind him. Of course, Ed could have just decided to go somewhere else until late that night, but he found the effort wasn't really worth it.

So he walked to the club, just like he had every other time. This time, instead of anticipation, he was dripping in reluctance and feeling pretty anxious. He hadn't seen Roy since he rejected him so all he had to look forward to was more awkward conversation. Especially if he had to reject Roy a second time.

He stepped through the doors, the same as always, looked up at the stage to see Hawkeye singing, then walked over to his typical seat in the bar and sat down. It wasn't a minute before Roy was there in front of him asking, "Water or whiskey?"

"Whiskey," Ed answered plainly.

The drink was poured and given to him. Afterwards was when Roy spoke, "I haven't seen you in a while. Did something happen?"

Puzzled, Ed wasn't sure what to answer. He'd assumed Roy would know why he avoided the bar over the past week. "I uh, I've been sick. Caught a cold, I guess."

It was a lie. Roy had to know that, but he smirked nonetheless, "See? I told you that you'd get sick."

It took Ed a moment to get the joke. Mostly because he was deathly confused about what was happening. When he did, he didn't smile, he just got more concerned. "Oh, yeah," he said. Then he took a drink of his whiskey. "Yeah, you were right."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright enough to drink?" Roy asked. "Something seems off about you."

Ed nodded and set down his glass. "I'm fine." He wasn't, though. He was confused. It was like Roy had completely forgotten what had happened last week or he was just acting like he didn't care enough to be hurt by it. For some reason, that was more frustrating than it was relieving. Did it actually not matter to him at all?

Roy didn't seem to believe him. He pressed a hand against Ed's forehead. "Hm, you're not warm," he pointed out. Okay, this was starting to feel a little more like sass than worry. "Something wrong?"

"What's up with you?" Ed asked in a huff, pushing Roy's hand away.

When Roy's confused face was a little off, it was obvious that this was him being an asshole or badly trying to pretend nothing happened. "What do you mean, Edward?"

This made Ed a lot more unhappy than it should have. "You're just, I don't know, you're acting like you didn't ask me out last week."

"You said no."

"So?"

Roy rolled his eyes. "What? Am I supposed to be a whiny brat about it? That's not normally what people want."

Ed stumbled over his response, his face heating up, "Well I, I just- I dunno. Maybe I kind of wanted the chance to change my mind?" He sounded like he was asking himself. "I mean, it wasn't fair to just turn you down like that." Was that something Al had said? He couldn't recall but that sounded right.

"So you're saying you want me to bother you about it?"

"Yes. I mean, no, well not-" Ed let out a groan. "Stop confusing me."

"Sorry, sorry," Roy couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. A cute, dumb chuckle. "Here, how about this? I'll try again and you figure out what you want to say."

Ed nodded.

"Do you want to have tea with me?" Roy's question was as sincere as the first time, but less confident now that he had to ask it again.

Ed paused. For a passing second, his thoughts turned the same direction they did last time. Then he thought of his and Al's conversation and shook that off. His answer then came without hesitation, "Yes." After a pause he asked. "When and where?"

"Oh," Roy looked a little surprised. He'd definitely been unprepared in that aspect this time. "Um, how about, er, tomorrow morning? At the Sweet Rose cafe."

"I can't do that," Ed said honestly. "I have something to do at the university." A speech of sorts about rockets. "How about tomorrow afternoon instead?"

Roy nodded, a grin coming to his face. "That works for me. Are you going to stick around for the show tonight?"

"Duh."


	5. Chapter 5

Roy had never imagined that one day, gold would be his favorite color. As a child, he was fond of blues and blacks because they looked nice on him. Actually it was like that until only a few months ago when he met someone who changed his entire perspective on color as a whole. He'd obviously been wrong to think blue was the best.

He'd seen blondes before and he'd seen people with odd eye colors but no natural color palette had blown him away as much as Edward's did. Golden hair with bright gold eyes and a natural sun kissed tone to his skin. When they first met, there had been pink on his cheeks and an adorable hint of confusion in his eyes that had complimented those colors.

Now, Roy had never believed in love at first sight- it was a ridiculous notion -but then and there, under that flickering streetlamp in the dead of night, he had felt those hurting, confused eyes strike his heart. He knew that he wanted to help this boy, to protect him, and he was well aware he could start by offering to warm him up.

It was a while before Roy saw him again. That day that Ed had been sitting at his bar and was utterly awestruck by Roy's singing was the very same day Roy decided that he had to be in love. There was just no other explanation for how he felt, but he was too unsure of the situation to ask Edward out.

When he finally did work up that nerve, he was outright dumped.

That had really sucked.

The week that followed had been hell for him. He still had to go to work because moping around with a broken heart didn't pay bills. Every day that Ed didn't show up, he felt even more angry with himself. He'd fucking scared the kid off. There was no other explanation, right? He was just a terrible person.

That Saturday when Ed had walked into the bar, his hands fidgeting and his mouth pressed into an unhappy frown, Roy knew exactly what he needed to do. Seeing the tell tale signs of a stressed person, Roy decided to not even think of bringing up the date idea again. It was obvious that Edward didn't like the thought of it so he wasn't going to be an ass.

In return, Ed got pissed at him for not bringing it up because how dare he not ask Ed out again after what had happened last time. Okay, Roy couldn't be so mad because the flush he'd gotten to see on that perfect face and embarrassed stutters that came with just made Roy the happiest man alive.

And, even better, he'd gotten a yes.

The very next day, he woke with a bit of a happy gleam to his attitude. Everything about the day seemed perfect. He first spent some time figuring out what to wear and how he should do his hair. He settled on the messy locks, because dealing with hair oil was a pain sometimes, and he wore a white button down. Today this shirt was accompanied by a satin vest. It was navy blue , pinstriped with silver on the front and entirely black starting from the middle of his sides and going back. He thought it to be pretty snazzy.

He spent the morning doing what he normally did, just with plenty more impatience. Since when had he been so restless before a date? They'd decided on three o'clock being when they'd meet so he had a time to be waiting for. He found himself constantly glancing at the clock. Even though it had been noon a minute before, perhaps it would be three now? Well, no, that wasn't how clocks worked.

When it was finally two-thirty, Roy was ready to go. It wasn't a long walk to Sweet Rose and along the way, he only stopped to say hello to his typical passerby instead of actually starting a conversation. He was there fifteen minutes early.

Ed showed up fifteen minutes late, a little disheveled with his face red and bits of blonde hair falling out of his ponytail. He looked around the tea shop a little frantically for Roy, as if he wasn't sure this was the right time or place. Or maybe he thought Roy left. Either way, even that confused face was adorable.

When he spotted Roy, his face lit up and he immediately shuffled over and plopped his butt down in the seat across from Roy. From his lips, came a stuttered apology in the midst of a breathless voice. "Sorry, my-my thing ran over and I got caught up with this student and I-"

Roy interrupted him, a soft smile edging on his lips. "Edward, breathe."

Ed didn't look like he'd listened at first because he took a sharp intake of breathe and just looked at Roy, his nervousness and embarrassment covering every inch of his face. He held onto it a moment or two, then released with a deep sigh, all of those emotions fading into a more relaxed Elric. "Sorry."

"Don't worry," Roy assured. Had this kid always been so breathtakingly adorable? The answer is yes. At least, that was the answer to Roy. "It's only been fifteen minutes."

"I didn't want you to think I flaked out or something." Ed's face was starting to return to it's normal color now that he was calming down and he was tugging out his ponytail as he spoke. "I was- I am really happy about this, I just lost track of time."

Roy could only watch as that golden hair fell down to Ed's shoulders and imagine how soft it must be to the touch. It looked like beautiful silk from where he was now and it took everything in him not to reach out and run his fingers through it. "Really, Ed, it's fine. I understand," he said, trying not to look as absent as he was. He should say something else right? Keep the conversation interesting? He prided himself in being a conversationalist so why couldn't he think of anything? Ed was working before this right? Yeah, he could ask about that. "So you work at a University, right? What do you do there?"

Just as skillfully as Ed had pulled his hair down, he put it right back up into a tighter ponytail. He effectively fixed his hair in just a few seconds with professional ease(Roy mildly wondered how long it had been that length). "I'm an assistant."

This answer brought Roy's next question very easily. "Assistant for who?"

When Ed was interested in something, whether it made him excited or if he knew a lot about it, he got this little shimmer in his eyes. Like some childhood dream had just been revamped with just a single thought. "I uh, assist pretty much everyone. I work with all the different science teams." He counted them out on his fingers as he spoke. "Chemistry, aerospace engineering, astrophysics, metaphysics, well philosophy as whole, and a lot of the smaller ones like the history of science and geology."

Roy was honestly startled by the wordy answer. He didn't even know what a couple of those were. "You're pretty smart then, huh?" was all he could dumbly say in response.

"I guess," Ed said sounding like the most humble genius that ever existed. "I'm, uh, working on becoming a teacher for a few different classes. That's what I was doing today. I worked with some rocket engineers a few years ago, so I talked to some guys about it this morning."

"Rockets, huh?" Roy hadn't heard much on rockets. Most people were concerned with planes and taking the air rather than venturing into space. "Sounds interesting."

Ed shrugged. He really didn't seem all that interested in that particularly, which made Roy wonder why he would've studied with that sort of engineer if he didn't like the subject matter. He decided not to question it when Ed's eyes darkened, returning to that state of hurt that Roy saw so often. What happened to this boy to make those eyes look so pained?

They went into a soft silence until a waitress asked what they would like. They both simply ordered tea and neither spoke until they both had steaming cups of leaf water in front of them. "Hey, um, I noticed you have a scar on your chin. What's that from?" Ed asked as one hand ran under the length of his own jaw and the other dropped a few sugar cubes into his tea.

Blunt, but definitely a conversation topic. Roy let out a bit of an embarrassed chuckle. "It's from my teenage years," he said, a tiny bit of warmth coming to his face. "I was a dunce back then. I accidently nicked myself with a knife when I was messing around."

That brought an honest and adorable laugh from Ed. "Are you serious?" he asked, his voice still breathy. "I thought something serious happened to you."

"It was serious," Roy countered. He would've been upset about being laughed at if he hadn't already known the story was ridiculous- and if Ed wasn't so freaking cute -but, instead, he was on the verge of laughing, too. "I'd thought I'd gone and killed myself with a dumb whittling knife. My aunt about killed me for it after I pulled through."

Ed got this bit of redness to cheeks when he was laughing and sometimes, when Roy really got Ed going, his golden eyes would close and he'd be forced to grip his stomach from laughing so hard because apparently Roy was just that funny. This wasn't one of those times, but Roy could see the remnants of the flush he was able to bring about with his dumb story.

Why did he notice all of these things? Roy took a sip of his tea, trying to pull his attention somewhere else. He didn't want to make Edward uncomfortable by staring.

"What were you even doing with it?" Ed suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"The knife," Ed clarified. "How'd you even manage that?"

Roy realized he should've guessed that, at least at some degree, but he'd gotten himself a little off track there for a moment. "Oh, yeah, I don't know. I was trying to whittle wood or something. I kind of forgot about it when I started bleeding."

"Hm," Ed didn't sound disappointed, he actually still looked really amused still. Good, this was going well then. "Well, do you have any other stories of a dumb, younger version of you?"

Roy smiled at that question. "Probably," he said with a shrug. "But how about you tell me some stories about you?"

Ed froze up, a bit of a worried expression crossing his face. This was concerning. Was asking about his past that much of a no-go? Roy hadn't meant to bring up something terrible. He was the verge of apologizing when Ed beat him to it, "Sorry, I'm better at telling fiction stories. My life's really boring."

For some reason, Roy didn't believe him one bit. He got the vibe that Ed's life story had to be interesting and crazy, the opposite of what Ed wanted him to think. It had to be something that he could listen to for hours. Ed was just so peculiar and unique as a person that there was no way that he was boring the whole time Roy hadn't known him. That was twenty three whole years.

"Alright, alright," Roy said, knowing better than to push it. "In that case, is there any way I could get you to tell me one of those fiction stories?"

Much to Roy's disappointment, Ed shook his head. "I don't know," he said as he took his first sip of his own tea. "I'll have to think of one you'd like first. Maybe next time."

Next time, huh? Roy would like that. He would like that a lot.


	6. Chapter 6

Time started to pass by like it was nothing. That date happened, Ed found that he actually did like Roy a lot, and they starting going on dates more and more often. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and suddenly Ed found himself falling for this other Roy in a way he never honestly believed he would.

And Roy never pushed anything. The other Mustang, the one is Amestris, always was up his ass about his business. Asking questions, already knowing the answers. He'd act like he knew Ed inside and out and wouldn't allow it any other anyway. But this Roy, well he wasn't like that at all. He didn't ask if Ed seemed uncomfortable, he acted like he wanted to know everything about Ed but he didn't do it like that. He didn't even push for answers when he saw Ed's automail for the first time. He just let it go.

He asked about Ed's day, or he'd ask about Al. His favorite foods and colors. He didn't seem like he was analyzing the situation or looking for a way to reprimand Ed. He also seemed to try to make Ed laugh as often as he could and honestly, Ed had never been this happy since he came to this world, or maybe since his mom died.

It was winter again now. The air was cold and sharp against his skin and honestly, he didn't mind as much as he normally would have. His nose argued against his good mood and the tightened, frozen skin of his cheeks told him that he shouldn't have a soft smile on his lips. He couldn't help it.

He had just gotten off of work for the day. He was on the verge of becoming a teacher himself now since he had been substituting for the chemistry teacher for the past month and he could just tell that he might be stealing the job for good if the man didn't come back soon.

However, this wasn't the reason for his good mood- not that it didn't help infinitely -no, the reason he was so pleased was because instead of heading home after work, he was headed right for Roy's house. On Wednesday, they'd agreed to meet there for their usual date. This was common, really, once the tea thing started getting stale. Though he'd yet to stay the night, he was sure he was welcome to crash there anytime.

So, Ed walked along the snow painted streets, wrapped up nicely in the coat he'd gotten from Roy the year before. It did a wonder at keeping his automail from freezing, so Ed had decided that wearing it was a good idea, despite the fact that it earned him some teasing from the very person who'd gifted it to him.

Once he was at Roy's doorstep, he knocked on the door, not a bit of hesitation coming to him before he did. It was only a few moments before the oak opened to reveal Roy's smiling face. Ed could live and breathe how cute Roy was when he left his hair messy and how he got this excited edge to his eyes when he saw Ed.

His first words were, "You look freezing."

Romantic, right?

"I'd be a little less freezing if you let me in," Ed said back, his sass certainly implied by his tone. He wasn't actually all that cold, but Roy was asking for it.

Roy chuckled and stepped aside to let Ed through, which Ed happily accepted. The house was warm on the inside. Enough so that Ed's skin hurt from the sudden change, in the best way of course. Roy helped him work off his coat and gave him a much nicer greeting. A hug.

It took Ed a while to get used to touches like this. At first he had minded it a little, getting tense, but he got used to being all lovey dovey like Roy wanted as long as they weren't in public. It felt so domestic and it really changed his outlook on a few things.

Like how Ed used to despise his height. Now, he found he didn't mind it as much when he buried his cold face into Roy's chest. It was warm and inviting and if he was any taller, well, he wouldn't fit in as well.

Once their hug had gone on a little longer than it should have, Ed finally let Roy pull away and the two of them made their way to the oh so familiar couch in Roy's living room. The fire was lit and seemed as though it had been going for a long while.

At first they talked about trivial things. The weather today or how work was for Ed since they last saw each other. They relaxed during this part and today, Ed ended up with his head in Roy's lap, hair loose and strewn out. He hummed as he could feel Roy's fingers gently running through it.

"Your hair is gorgeous," Roy said, his voice soft and soothing. "Have you ever thought about braiding it? I feel like it'd look good like that."

Ed's lips split into a nostalgic little smile. "I used to braid it when I was a kid," he said. Wow, that was when he was a kid, wasn't it? Almost ten years ago now. He had been a young fifteen back then and now, he was twenty-four since august. "I guess I kind of grew out of it." Ponytails were easier to throw up and they made his hair a little more manageable.

"Must've been cute," was Roy response. His fingers continued to work through Ed's hair, swirling it and giving Ed a gentle scalp massage when he was playing near the top. It was a wonder Ed hadn't fallen asleep yet. "Did you ever wear it short?" Roy added.

Ed gave a soft nod. "When I was really little. My mom said it was cute like that, but I thought it looked better when I grew it out."

"It does look really good," Roy agreed. After a moment's pause he said, "You don't talk much about your parents, do you?"

This was when Ed realized this might've been the first time he'd ever mentioned his mom around Roy. "I don't want to bum you out."

Roy shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'd love to hear more about you."

Ed let out a soft sigh. He knew that if he went quiet, he wouldn't have to talk about it. That's how he'd been avoiding things like this before. He focused on Roy's hands for a long minute and thought hard before he decided to reply. "My mom was a really nice lady," he said. He never was the best with talking, but Roy didn't seem like he'd care."When I was really little, she seemed perfect. Still does. But she got really sick one day and it wasn't long before she was gone."

His leg's scar tissue hurt from the thought of her.

Roy was respectful about it. He didn't pity him or ask if he was okay, he just nodded and continued, "And your father?"

"Asshole," was Ed's immediate response. Then some flashes of Hohenheim from when the gate was first opened and the time they'd been together when he first came to this world came into his mind and he corrected himself. "Rotten father. Not actually a bad guy, but he wasn't around when I was a kid."

Roy made a soft, "hm," noise, indicating he heard, but didn't respond immediately. He seemed to be thinking about something important. What he said next was a bit of a surprise. "My parents died when I was young. Too young to remember. So, my aunt actually raised me."

Ed blinked. Had he ever learned anything about Roy's past in Amestris? No, Roy normally kept his past to himself and this Roy had done similarly until now. Well, other than that scar story. Ed wasn't really sure what to say, actually, but he managed something. "Then we're both orphans now. Shitty thing to have in common, don't chya think?"

Roy actually chuckled at that. "I'd say."

The subject dropped into lighter tones, but it was still centered around the past. Ed told silly stories from when he was a kid("One time me and Al pushed our friend into the pond because she refused to marry either of us. We were grounded for weeks.") and Roy did the same("My aunt ran a bar and when I was ten or so, she gave me some water and told me it was scotch. I definitely thought I was drunk that whole night.").

It was nice.

Ed had to leave out all the alchemy, but that was fine. It was actually really easy to tell stories from when he was a kid because he didn't start being an alchemist as rigorously until his mom passed. Plus, when one memory was thought of, dozens of others came flooding in and he just wanted to share all of it.

There was a time when they took a short break. By then, it was pretty late at night and the two of them had shifted into a different position on the couch. They were both laying down now. Roy was comfortably stretched across the cushions and Ed was curled on top of him, snuggled into his chest.

"Hey, Edward."

Ed had almost been honestly asleep, eyes closed and everything, but he responded anyway with a sleepy, "Hmm?"

"What are doing on Christmas?"

Christmas? Ed had entirely forgotten it yet again. Though, that was expected since for more than half of his life, he'd never heard of Christ, nevertheless Christmas. It was one of the many religious holidays he'd found out about upon moving from one world to another. "I uh, well I'm probably not gonna be doing anything big. Why?" His voice was mildly muffled from being pressed against Roy's shirt. That was a good problem.

"Well, I want to invite you over, that's why."

Roy sounded like he'd been thinking on this all night. Ed wondered if he had. Maybe it was an important holiday to him? Probably. There were only a few people that Ed had met around here that didn't give a shit about Christmas and zero percent of those people lived in London. It wasn't even December yet and Ed had only just now realized why the scenery had been changing lately.

"What do you do on Christmas?" Ed decided to ask before he consented to whatever Roy had planned for the holiday.

Roy hadn't expected that question, Ed could tell because he seemed to pause before he answered. "Give out presents to my friends and then spend the rest of the day relaxing."

"Can I be apart of the relaxing part?"

"Obviously," Roy said. "But I'll be getting you something, too."

"Me?" Ed wasn't actually surprised. He got presents from peers on Christmas already, especially from the people at his group home. He was never any good at doing anything himself. "You don't have to."

"Why wouldn't I?" The confusion was apparent in the words. Roy definitely liked Christmas, that fact was obvious.

Ed gave a shrug. "I dunno. I don't need anything."

"That's not the point." Roy wasn't going to accept an answer like that. He moved only enough to kiss the top of Ed's head and then laid back again. "You're my partner, Ed, of course I'm going to get you something."

Ed was glad his face was hidden because those words brought heat to his skin. The kiss certainly added onto that. "Well, I'm no good at gifts. I dunno if I'd be able to get you something."

"That doesn't it matter."

Roy got a huff in return because that sappy shit was untrue. He'd need to get Roy something or he'd be an ass, but what the hell was he supposed to get? It wasn't like he was super good at knowing what people wanted and with Roy, how was he supposed to know? It had to be something romantic, yeah, but he wasn't romantic in the slightest.

"Ed."

He was pulled from his thoughts. "What?"

"Don't worry about it," Roy said, his tone gentle. "Just make sure I see you on Christmas. That's all you have to do."

Ed mumbled a soft, "Yeah, right," before settling back into silence. He didn't mean to be so sour about the Christmas tradition, but honestly, he hadn't known about it until recently, so he didn't get the sense of nostalgia and togetherness that everybody else got. He just needed to pretend that he did so that people wouldn't think he was weird.

It was quiet after this. Not a harsh silence, but something soft and warm. Ed pushed Christmas from his mind and got himself comfortably snuggled onto Roy's chest again. The feeling from before returned, bringing a pleasant sleepiness with it. Ed tried not to pass out on top of Roy, but it wasn't long before he did.

When he woke up, he wasn't warm anymore. Well, he was, but it wasn't the same. There wasn't arms around him and there wasn't someone else's breath to listen to under his head. Instead he was tucked into a bed, wrapped up in blankets and alone.

The room was dark. Was this Roy's room? He'd never seen it before so he couldn't honestly tell. The only light was the moon leaking in through the window and because Ed wasn't home, he didn't know where any candle were. All he could tell was that he was alone.

He decided he didn't like that.

So he untangled himself from the blankets and sat up in the bed. He noticed that he was missing his shoes when a glint of metal caught his eye. Where were his boots? He was too sleepy to bother with it.

He slid his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Oh, he was a little wobbly. He took a moment to steady himself before he started to stumble towards what he thought was a door. When he reached it, he found it was already open. He almost fell walking through it, not knowing there was a bit of a step there.

It was so dark in here that he could hardly tell where he was going, but he could see a faint firelight from the end of what he assumed to be the hallway. Was that the living room? Probably. He started towards it since it was the only light in the whole house. Floorboards creaked under his feet with each step he took.

The living room was actually still dark. The fireplace was dying compared to the last time Ed had glanced at it. Only some glowing embers were left in the ashes now and honestly, Ed had no idea how to get it going again. It was enough that he could see, but not too much.

A single look around the room told him where that what he was looking for was definitely in here. Roy was sprawled across the couch, looking really uncomfortable, but still dead asleep and loosely covered in a thin blanket. Ed could even hear some snoring and fuck was that adorable.

Too bad Ed had to ruin it.

Without a single thought of how Roy might feel about it, he stepped over to the couch, moved the blanket and promptly started to crawl on top of him. He heard an oof come from underneath him then a sleepy, disoriented voice asked, "Ed? What are you- what are you doing?"

"You moved me," was Ed's response as got right to where he was before, on Roy's chest. In the process he ruined every bit of comfort Roy had, but he didn't care. When he accidentally ran his left foot over Roy's skin- he guessed that Roy's pant leg was pulled up or something -he got a half-hearted noise of distaste.

"Your prosfeth-," a pause, another annoyed noise, then another try, more pronounced this time. "Pros-the-tic. Your prosthetic is freezing."

Prosthetic, yeah, not automail. Ed hadn't told him about that much yet, just avoided the questions. He moved his leg with a quiet, "Sorry," then got back to his original spot. The problem: Roy wasn't really awake enough to comply any more than just being there. He didn't like that at all. "Roy," he mumbled to him. "Hold me."

A disgruntled groan came from Roy this time, but arms wrapped around him regardless. As soon as the half asleep Roy registered what was going on, the arms were suddenly a little tighter, warmer.

Ed hummed and he got a soft chuckle in response

He just about fell asleep when he heard Roy mumble something. He couldn't understand what it was. "Hm?"

Roy's arms moved away from Ed and shuffled until there was a thin blanket around the both of them. Once that was done, he hugged Ed to him again and let out a content sigh. He spoke the same words, louder this time, "I love you, Ed."

He had been half asleep, but suddenly Ed's eyes were wide. That was a pretty important set of three words Roy had just sleepily mumbled to him. What was he supposed to say back? Did he feel that way, too? He didn't know. Maybe he should just pretend that he was already asleep. Would that be worse?

"You don't need to say it back, you know."

That was just like the Christmas gift thing. "But I-"

Roy held him as close as possible, a reassuring gesture on its own. "I love you and I understand if you want to wait to say it back."

Ed did want to wait. Not because he doubted he loved this Roy, but because he wanted it to feel like more than just a response to Roy's. And, he wanted to know this wasn't just an infatuation that would eventually fade. He was quiet a moment before he said, "Sorry for waking you up."

Roy laughed again, "It's my fault for moving you."

It really was, but Ed didn't verbally agree. He just hummed and let himself relax again. He soon fell asleep to the sound of Roy's heartbeat.

The next time he woke, he was in Roy's bed and this time, it was morning instead of night. Also, this time, he wasn't alone under the blankets. Roy was still holding him close and he loved that. He loved that a lot.


	7. Chapter 7

This is an Author's note for this story: Okay so I will _not_ be updating on fanfiction any longer. I wont be deleting this account, but I will probably never post here again. It's become a pain and I found I prefer Archive. On a different note, I _do_ have an archive account and have finished this story over there. There's twelve chapters in total now and it got more of a foothold on Ao3, so I kept updating it. This note is for readers who were reading it here and would like to finish it(that isn't many people, but that's okay).

FF is too petty to let me link Archive so just search "Another Familiar Face Ao3" and it should pop up just fine.

Thank you for understanding!


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